It was late when the event began outside of Ponyville, Luna's moon hung high in the cool night air as light gathered beyond the borders of the small town.
Had anypony been awake to see it they initially might have mistaken the creeping yellow light for the first hints of sunrise, that the natural events that occurred each day were simply taking their course as they should do. But if they kept looking they would quickly see that that was not the case.
The yellow light stayed even as the sun rose, becoming steadily more unlike sunlight until the crackling, sparking noises and movement finally confirmed it was a bundle of lightning, manifesting not on the horizon as perspective would've made it seem but rather atop a very high hill, where the bearers of the Elements of Harmony had once stood to watch one of Princess Luna's meteor showers.
The hilltop certainly looked like it had been hit by one of those meteors when, with a loud snap and a blast of golden lightning the grass was burnt away and the lone tree standing atop the hill reduced to smoking ash, leaving behind a large figure who initially seemed unconscious.
He lay there in the smoking crater he had created until the sun finally rose on a new day in Equestria, which seemed to awaken him from his slumber; he shook himself off even though that surely served little point as his entire form seemed to be encased in a black metal armour which was tailored so perfectly that each individual feather on his wings was sheathed in it's own light metal pocket, almost as if the armour had simply molded to his form.
The figure finally stood and leaped out of the crater, staring down at the town below.
***
“Scoots, are ya sure this is a good idea?” Applebloom asked as she and Sweetie Belle held onto the edges of their red wagon as an overly excited Scootaloo attached her scooter to it, the fireworks she had strapped underneath the scooter seeming very ominous with what they were about to do.
Scootaloo, for her part, looked as if Applebloom had asked her if Rainbow Dash was cool. “Pfft, ‘course it’s a good idea; we use these rockets, clear the apple trees and catch Tank out of the tree, easy!” The pegasus filly said as she hopped on the scooter.
“Couldn’t we just wait for Twiliiiiiii-” Sweetie’s beginning of a sensible suggestion turned into a scream quickly as the trio rocketed forward towards their improvised ramp, far faster than Scootaloo had expected as she quickly lost control and was thrown off the scooter. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle weren’t so lucky, going with the now out of control scooter and flying high into the air, carried higher and higher into the clouds by the rockets until they gave out.
The yells of the fillies did not go unnoticed; just across the apple orchard Rainbow Dash was trying to coax Tank down from a tree after the poor tortoises helicopter pack had broken down and left him stuck up there. She swivelled around at the screams and felt her heart drop as she saw the two fillies now plummeting, Scootaloo yelling desperately for anyone.
“Woah! Be right back Tank.” Rainbow Dash promised before zooming off as soon as she was sure she wouldn’t blow Tank out the tree. It didn’t take long before she closed the gap, ready to grab onto the falling Crusaders.
“Okay, I gotcha now- oof!” Rainbow Dash grunted in pain as something cold, hard and metallic slammed her out of the way of the two fillies. She spiralled several stories before regaining control of herself and quickly looking around, praying that they were still okay.
What she found was the last thing she might have expected.
“They yours?” Asked the new arrival with a laugh as he (she could only tell by his voice) caught sight of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Rainbow Dash gaping at him. They couldn’t make out any of his features below a suit of pitch black armour covering every inch of him, including his mane, but what they could see was enough, the height he stood at, his impressive wings folding down against him clad in their own section of armour, a protruding armour piece for a horn.
Impossible as it was, there was no denying that they were looking at an Alicorn.
****
“Rainbow Dash, there are only four Alicorns!” Twilight Sparkle insisted as she flew alongside Rainbow Dash. “And I think I should know!” She added as she just avoided falling on her face to the floor yet again, still not used to her new wings.
Rainbow Dash ignored her friend, and most recently Princess, and just pointed for Twilight to see for herself as the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse came into view beneath them, the armoured alicorn still there. It was a bit of a surprise to both of them to see that he was… playing with the Crusaders?
“Uhhh… I thought Alicorns were all royalty and elegance?” Rainbow Dash asked with a puzzled shake of her head as the Alicorn played dodgeball with Scootaloo, purposefully making himself a big target for Sweetie Belle and Applebloom on the other team though it seemed they still found ways to miss him. “This guy seems-”
“How?” Twilight interrupted her friend, the question was loud enough for the Crusaders and the Alicorn to hear as they stopped their game to look at the two mares, the dodgeball bouncing harmlessly off the Alicorn’s face plate.
He kept his gaze locked on Twilight for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head. “Dear me, seems we’re up to our wings in Alicorns recently doesn’t it?” He asked, trotting over to Twilight and offering his hoof. “Astron, the pleasure is all mine.”
Twilight just stood in confusion until shaking his hoof, helped by a not so subtle blow to the ribs from Rainbow Dash.
“So… who are you?” Twilight asked, aware that she was being rather rudely blunt but caring more about the ache in her side from where Rainbow Dash had hit her, while the weather mare seemed utterly unconcerned and was talking with Scootaloo who had perched herself on her idols back.
“Who am I? Who am I? Well that would be the million bit question wouldn’t it, and it would be a bit boring of me to ruin it wouldn’t it?” Astron answered as if this should have been obvious, though under the jovial tone there seemed to be some hidden undertone to his answer, it almost sounded like he had wanted to say something different entirely. “But enough about me, you… my my look at you, Celestia’s finally found herself a student good enough to ascend to be an Alicorn. She must have a lot of faith in you.”
Twilight blushed at the compliment, still unused to her role as a Princess but somehow she felt encouraged by hearing praise from another Alicorn.
Even though that fact alone meant something very strange was going on.
****
“Something very strange is going on dear sister.” Princess Luna spoke very quickly as she trotted to her sister sitting on the throne, dealing with the day to day mundane tasks that most would assume would be handled by the Princesses’ servants rather than they themselves doing it.
“I know Luna. I felt it too. Do not trouble yourself, I am certain we will find it was just our minds playing tricks on us.” Celestia, as always, held an air of calm and control as she spoke. It was truly infectious too as all ponies in Equestria knew, just the mere presence of the Princess of the Day was usually enough to calm even the panicked and cheer up the depressed.
Luna however was not just a pony of Equestria, she was Celestia’s family and she knew when the air was a truthful one and when it was a facade and even as Celestia spoke her reassurance she could see the sun monarch doubting herself. Luna fought the urge to yell at Celestia; she understood reluctance but if what they both had felt had any possibility of being real surely Celestia could not afford to just ignore it?
“Do you need anything else dear sister?” It was worded like a question but felt very much like an order of silence to Luna, so she did not respond and simply turned on her hooves and stomped out of the throne room, already contemplating ways to investigate this situation herself.
If he had returned then truly things could only get worse…
***
“He’s so much fun!” Pinkie Pie cheered as Astron took her flying high above Ponyville along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders as a crowd gathered below them to see what was going on.
“Sure about that?” Rainbow Dash muttered as she glared at the flying Alicorn; despite her and Twilight’s best efforts to keep his presence quiet Astron had had other ideas and even now was wowing the towns ponies as he looped low and soared across the rooftops, lightning crackling around him and leaving a trail of sparks behind him. “Are you sure we should be keeping this guy around Twilight?”
“Ah gotta agree with Rainbow Dash Twilight.” Applejack added as she kept her eyes on Applebloom riding on Astron’s back, Big Macintosh fixing the Alicorn with a constant suspicious glare.
Twilight Sparkle just sighed. Truthfully she was feeling a torrent of conflict in her head, she would definitely tell the Princess about this but should she voice her and some of her friends suspicions about Astron, admitting they were paranoid and suspicious about a pony based on his race all over again? But surely this was different, Alicorns didn’t just suddenly appear…
She couldn’t help but be more aware of her wings than usual at that thought.
“I know, I know. I’ll write a letter to Princess Celestia tonight and let her know but I’d be amazed if she doesn’t already know about him.” Twilight assured them, though she wasn’t sure whether the assurance that Celestia would already know was for her own benefit or theirs.
While her friends looked doubtful at Twilight’s words, they didn’t notice Astron pause as he landed, focusing his eyes on the purple Alicorn as the CMC and Pinkie dismounted while a light purple unicorn filly was gently placed on his back by her cross eyed mother for a ride.
He took off like he had promised to, giving a nod to the mother to reassure her that he would be careful in response to her concerned look. But he had taken long enough to take the look he had wanted to take and that was all he needed to confirm that it was no spell or trick, Twilight Sparkle was indeed an Alicorn.
It was a shame really: he obviously didn’t know her that well, he’d only been back for a day after all, but she seemed like a nice enough mare and a responsible one to be suspicious of another Alicorn magically popping up, especially when the newcomer wouldn’t show his face under the armour.
Not like I can anyways. He thought to himself as the little filly giggled and whooped with delight on his back while they flew through the clouds.
I’m sorry Twilight, I really am. You seem like a nice mare and I know that you have so many wonderful friends here. Astron thought, well aware that he was essentially talking to himself yet again. But I’m afraid that it has to be this way, and you won’t stand a chance.
You’re my one ticket to a permanent return Twilight. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to ask that you take my place. I wish it could be different, but it’s the way it is. I hope Celestia and Luna will understand.
